In a disturbing escalation of Mexico’s drug-related murder spree, a grenade attack late Monday night on revelers celebrating Independence Day killed seven and wounded more than 100.

Officials called the blast an act of domestic terrorism and said it appeared to be the work of warring drug cartels targeting innocent civilians.

In a hastily arranged television address Tuesday to the nation, President Felipe Calderon vowed to pursue the attackers.

“The people of Mexico, particularly on this significant date, must remain united,” Calderon said. “Those who think that fear will keep this society prisoner are mistaken.”

The late-night attack occurred in the picturesque main plaza of Morelia, the colonial capital of Michoacan, a state that has been plagued by drug violence in recent years.

Just as Gov. Leonel Godoy finished giving the traditional “grito” — ritualistic cries of “Viva Mexico!” — two fragmentation grenades were tossed into the crowd, turning festivities at the centuries-old plaza into a scene of bloody chaos.

gaza strip

Hamas attack kills 11 clan members

Eleven members of a large Palestinian clan, including a 1-year-old, were killed along with a Hamas police officer late Monday and early Tuesday, when Hamas forces clashed with gunmen at the family’s compound here, witnesses said.

The assault on the powerful Dagmush clan, notorious for both militant and criminal activity, signaled an apex in the campaign by Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza, to impose internal order, and it was welcomed by many people here. The Dagmush family was considered the last large clan challenging Hamas’ authority in Gaza, after Hamas cracked down in early August on the Hillis clan.

cuba

$5 billion in storm damage, Cuba says

Storm damages to housing, crops, electrical lines, schools and hospitals in Cuba will cost about $5 billion, the Cuban government announced.

An approximately 3,000-word statement published in Tuesday’s Cuban newspaper Granma marks the first time the Cuban government has quantified the nationwide damage of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

The figures published paint a daunting figure for a nation that was already facing a housing crisis, low agricultural production and shortages of key materials.

The government said more than 444,000 homes were damaged, 63,249 destroyed. The number is slightly lower than the figure released over the weekend.

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Think you know Disneyland? Well, ponder this: There are people who go there every single day. Seriously. Every day. And about a zillion others who shelled out hundreds for annual passes. What do they know that can make your visit more enjoyable?